A School Week in the LIfe of the Sachs...

Thought I might provide you with a few more details of our weeks here, especially as the kids are now in school.

Cambodians arise early, while it is still cool, so by about 6:00 there are noises outside that begin to wake us up. Austin is often the first one up, then Ron. I manage to sleep nearly until my alarm, and then get the girls up. The cheapest breakfast cereal here is an Australian brand, and it is pretty good. But the kids are not big fans of cereal for breakfast, so Ron has graciously taken to cooking hot breakfasts. Janaya and Austin are particularly grateful, because in PA, no one got up with them until it was time to walk to the bus! So we’ve had banana muffins, pancakes and with an amazing find at the MCC office – waffles. The one cookbook we brought with is the new book my Dad’s family just put together. Ron uses my cousin Mike’s waffle recipe. The school van arrives at 7:20. Probably only takes about 5 minutes to drive to the kids’ school, and they get there quite early, where they hang out on the grounds until allowed in the building.

Ron and I are taking private language lessons for an hour a day, and then we try to study for a couple hours. Last week, I also went to the University on two separate days, and we spent two days at the MCC office meeting with others, welcoming new staffers, and taking care of business. We continue to work on home improvements - we get supplies at MCC, do the work, and then return the tools.

So far we’ve tried to be home everyday when the kids get home, which is 3:15. We give them water and feed them a snack, usually fruit, and then it is time for homework, not much different than anywhere else. Austin joined the middle school basketball team. I’m so proud of him for doing that. Not easy to run suicide drills in 85-90 degree heat, and humidity. It is also something that wouldn’t be so easy to take part in a big school like Northern, so this is a great opportunity for him. He has practice Wednesdays and Fridays, after school. Since he can’t take the bus home, we’ve been taking a motodup in to pick him up. Still aren’t driving moto ourselves. Austin is also excited to be playing trumpet in band this year. Instruments are rare here, but Logos has managed to bring together a few. Even in PA he was asking me to buy him a trumpet so he could learn another instrument. He is very excited about this. I’d say he is doing quite well with school!

Janaya keeps busy with a lot of homework. Khmer is challenging, and while it is only the first course, all the other students have been here for longer than her, so they have some of the basics already. I work with her on Algebra, just like in PA. Dad helps her in art. She has already found at least 3 good friends whom she eats lunch with.

Its back to reading books, and doing math flash cards for Acacia – again just like PA. I believe she has made many friends – but she doesn’t know their names. It is extra hard to remember names when they don’t sound like any other names that you’ve every heard before! She has swimming one day a week, which she will love. Last week they only got to jump in before a storm came in. She even got invited to a birthday party on Friday after school. There was pizza, cake and ice cream – standard for a US party, but a real treat for Acacia at this point in time!

On Thursday evening, Austin went to the all-Phnom Penh, English speaking, Christian middle school youth group. It was at a Christian school across town. Last week, Ron and Janaya and their tuk-tuk driver had spent an hour looking for the place in the dark, and never found it. So, I rode along with 3 tuk-tuks worth of middle schoolers, so that I could see where this school was. A loud and wild night for me – remember, Ron is the youth pastor in this family! Nevertheless, ice cream was part of the picture!

By Friday we are all tired. But this past week we had two new MCCer’s to our house for dinner. They are part of the one-year exchange programs that MCC sponsors for young adults. We’ve been here for 5 weeks, making us the hosts (and experts?) already. Wow.